which childcare options to consider?

[Bluetinkerbell]

Have 1 DD, 2,5 years old. She goes to a childminder 20 hours a week. DC2 will be born beginning of November.
From January 2012 DD will have 15 hours childcare for free.
Looking for options of what to do from September onwards.

Option 1: sending her to CM for 15 hours a week, which will mean I will have her home the rest of the time with DC2.
Option 2: send her to playgroup every morning for 15 hours a week, so home in afternoon
Option 3: playgroup in morning (and pay for it, which is less than paying CM), childminder in afternoon for 15 hours a week... this would be a good preparation for when she goes to nursery class at school.

DC2 will hopefully stay with me, I have quite a flexible job and planning on breastfeeding, once DD1 will go to nursery class, DC2 could go to CM...

this September before I start maternity leave... I'm only planning on taking 6 weeks at the most

have you checked that your CM can take the vouchers for "free" care? Some cant and many others choose not to, because they are a hassel and get paid less by vouchers than what they normally charge.

Agree with nannyl, you had better check whether your or any CMs in your area will even cover the government 15 hours childcare. I know it would be a MASSIVE pay rate drop for my CM and there is no way she would accept them.

You may also have left it too late for a nursery place, our community nursery which does give the 15 hours of care was full in February! Other nurseries are full several years before the placements start.

I think you'll find that you have rather less options than you think you have unless you get moving FAST!!!!

CM has already confirmed she will do the 15 hours by the government, but she has never done it before.
I have just phoned the playgroup and they still have places, so I have put DD's name down and will see what I'll do next.

Is your childminder actually accredited? She needs to be for you to be able to claim the funded sessions.

Well how much will she get paid per hour?
That might be quite helpful to know!
I pay a reasonable rate per hour, I think...

Her Local Authority will be able to give her the rate, but if she does not already know it, then it may be that she is not accredited. Getting accredited is not simply signing a document. I am accredited, but I do not do the 15 hours free, because I wouldn't be able to pay my mortgage! Get the CM to check the rate with her Local Authority and confirm that she has everything in place. It may be that she is and is all prepared to go ahead.

Checked with CM this morning and she will get about £3.20, which is more than what I pay her per hour, so she is ok with it.

wow.... she's a cheap CM.... most i know are £4++++ an hour

so long as she's happy to do it, & all the faff that comes with it, then thats all the matters

yeah I know and I'm very happy with her! (still it is a lot of money compared to what I used to pay in Belgium, where I paid about £10 per day including meals and snacks)

I think I'll be going for option 3, we're checking out the local playgroup this week and will then decide what to do